Busy week for local fire departments
by Rick Lemyre
May 24, 2012 | 2298 views | 4 4 comments | 19 19 recommendations | email to a friend | print
A four-door sedan collided with an SUV on Marsh Creek Road early Wednesday morning, prompting local fire department aid.<br>Photo courtesy of Hugh Henderson</br>
A four-door sedan collided with an SUV on Marsh Creek Road early Wednesday morning, prompting local fire department aid.
Photo courtesy of Hugh Henderson
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Local fire departments battled fires and responded to a car accident this week, keeping firefighters busy throughout East County.

Much of the fire action started Tuesday. According to a press release from Contra Costa Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Lewis Broschard, crews were dispatched at 4:04 p.m. to a commercial structure fire in the 2100 block of Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg at the Quality Tune Up facility. A disgruntled employee had allegedly thrown gasoline on some equipment in the business and set it on fire.

This fire came just a few minutes after ConFire reported flames in Concord.

Employees controlled the Pittsburg fire with multiple portable extinguishers, and firefighters were released shortly thereafter. The investigation of the incident is ongoing.

As firefighters were taming the Pittsburg fire, they received a report of blazes on the 5100 block of Sundance Court in Antioch. The first engine discovered heavy fire involvement in the back bedroom of the home’s second floor. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control within 15 minutes.

No one was home at the time of the fire and no civilians were injured. One firefighter suffered second-degree burns on his hand. He was treated at a local hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Roughly two hours later, ConFire responded to a house fire call in Clayton that caused roughly $150,000 in damage.

“Each structure fire response includes at least five fire units with three firefighters each and two chief officers for command and control purposes,” wrote Broschard. “When we receive multiple structure fires in a short period of time, it can tax the system and create stress on the remaining emergency response needs of our community.”

There was a fire-free break until roughly 3 a.m. Wednesday, when Antioch fire engines were called out to help the East Contra Costa Fire District in a two-alarm residential fire on Bethel Island. Two homes were burned to the ground and a third was nearly destroyed.

“When we got there, the first two houses were completely involved and starting to fall apart,” said East Contra Costa Fire Protection District Fire Chief Hugh Henderson. “The people in the third house, including a former Bethel Island paid-on-call firefighter, were amazed we saved the house.”

However, while the Bethel Island fire was being contained, local firefighters were also called on to assist rescue efforts in the aftermath of a head-on collision between an SUV and a four-door sedan on Marsh Creek Road near Hoffman Lane at roughly 5 a.m. Wednesday morning. Four East Contra Costa firefighters and three CalFire firefighters responded.

Five people were involved in the accident – two suffered major injuries and three suffered minor injuries. Two medical helicopters were used for transport.

The cause of the collision is still under investigation.

Comments
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gavin.consveer
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May 25, 2012
So this article is recapping how "busy" the fire department has been in the past week?

I count 5 incidents, with only 2 actually being in the ECCFPD.

Pittsburg fire- not in the ECCFPD and as the article mentions, controlled and extinguished by employees, probably not any worse off without the fire department.

Antioch fire- not in the ECCFPD. How did one firefighter become a patient in a situation in which no ones life was even in danger? More details please, rather then just, "see he got hurt, dangerous job!!"

Clayton fire- not in the ECCFPD.

Bethel Island fire- Hey! Finally something in the ECCFPD. Oh but wait, even with a fire engine on the island two homes were already gone by the time that first unit got there, with the third one being "nearly destroyed". Any one want to take bets on the fact that the insurance company will call the third house a total loss and that it will just be demolished for a new home to be built? I'm betting it's pretty high odds.

Marsh Creek collision- The second incident in ECCFPD but no mention that it did not require any extrication and that the actual medical aspect of care was handled by air ambulance personnel, ground ambulance crews and QRV first responder paramedic. I'm sure the fire department probably helped move people around what not, though.

Sounds like a busy week for ECCFPD, right? Not.

No on S$S!

Bootree
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May 25, 2012
The article is about the fire departments and how crazy busy they have been throughout the week it wasn't about safety personnel in general. Shedding light on how busy our firefighters have been is a good thing since they want to close most of them. You will really have something to complain about then if you have a fire in your neighborhood and it takes forever for firefighters to get there.
MillieP
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May 24, 2012
Im getting upset at the newspaper because they must hate the ambulance and paramedic people that helped save the crash victims.

Why did this paper leave out the medical responce by AMR? The medical responce people will not be taken from us if we vote no on this new tax the press paper is pushing. So much for being fair placing credit for all Mr. Editor.

YesonS
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May 24, 2012
Plus they didn't mention the CHP, the tow truck driver or get the name of the driver who flipped them all off for making him late for work!

The article title didn't give you a clue?
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